Tag: Running

Thankful for Uncharted Territory, the Secret, & an Outdoor Morning Moving Meditation

Thankful for Uncharted Territory, the Secret, & an Outdoor Morning Moving Meditation

Day 4,046

Growth:

One of my favorite authors once shared that the reason they write what they do is to figure out how they feel about a certain thing. As I was starting to think about my blog today I was almost giddy as I had an idea or two, but I really didn’t know where this post was going to take me. Then it hit me, that’s one of the reasons I appreciate this practice so much – I never know where it’s going to go and I likely wouldn’t have gotten there without taking time to write and think it through.

This practice, more than eleven years in, and it’s still surprising me with the reasons why I appreciate it so! Here’s to all of the uncharted territory I worked my way into without intent over the past decade and change!

Appreciation:

After spending a few hours working on my passion project today my mind kept pulling back to this quote:


The awful truth would begin to dawn on him: there was no Secret! His days would have to be spent in exactly this manner, give or take a mile or two, for longer than he cared to think about, if he really wanted to see the olive wreath up close. It would simply be the most difficult, heartrending process he would endure in the course of his life. At that point most of them would drift away.

John L. Parker, Once a Runner

How many of us spend so much time trying to find a shortcut, a way to make something difficult easy? I can’t even begin to express how much of my life energy has been spent in this simple pursuit of the quick way. In some ways it’s incredibly humbling, but I also fear it is also incredibly human.

When I read the quote above I picture the imagery from the book, Once a Runner, in which the focus is on putting in a ton of miles of running… day after day after day… as the way to getting to the goal. Everyone wants the shortcut, but once they learn the awful truth that “the secret” is nothing more than putting in the reps over and over and over and over, they lose heart and quit.

Interestingly enough, when we somehow find a way to keep grinding, to keep putting in the reps, we might eventually find just how much of an impact that repeating action made. Case in point, this daily blog has averaged about 320 words per day. Those 320 words per day have somehow accumulated to almost 1.3 MILLION words over the past eleven years! How wild is that? They just keep adding up, piece by piece by piece.

As I keep working on my next project, Life Topography (more coming very soon now) also has a longer term underlying structure beneath it. What started almost twenty years ago as a way for me to remember what was important to me in life has slowly grown. Over the past five years it’s become a core of who I am and has generated more and more of the daily grind / slow burn habits that have helped me grow towards more and more of my dreams recently. Those habits include reviewing my annual map each morning before I get out of bed as well as daily scorecard to review my day as I lay in bed before going to sleep. Small and simple steps, but unceasing, relentless.

I love creating and inventing things. I really enjoy the process of shaping something from the aether that has never existed or re-shaping an existing process to improve it. While that is fun, that is novel, and that is entertaining, some of the largest gains come from the simple act of doing the same thing over and over and over and over until we really start to see the core of the thing… and that’s just the start! Then we have to keep doing it over and over and over, maintaining the relentless trial of miles and miles of trials. Eventually, the magic happens and we didn’t even notice that it had been building while we were continuing to grind.

There’s a true magic in maintaining, in gritting something out, in being relentless. There’s a joy to be found in the process of putting in the reps, and more joy as we grow into what the reps build us into.

Presence:

I had a crazy idea for Becky and I this morning, I’m so glad she was game for it! We woke up early, drove out to the Trempealeau Wildlife Refuge and proceeded to have a five mile jogging nature / bird watching / outdoor moving meditation. So much beauty and wonder to be found there this morning! We saw a good size buck burst out of the woods and run away from us. There were giant groups of pelicans preening and fishing. A flock of cormorants joined another flock and another flock and all flew in the direction of warmer horizons. Becky noticed something flying in the woods and pointed it out. Next thing we knew we were staring at a Barred Owl who seemed to be having just as much fun watching us! So many birds and birdsong throughout. We’d jog for a while, stop to take in the view, and then get moving again with no goal of a distance or a time, only to be present in nature together. These are the moments in which I am so grateful for Becky in my life!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Choosing My Path, Miles of Trials, & Wrapping a Bow on It

Day 4,037

Growth:

Always block the calendar with the most important things, knock them out, and life will go much more smoothly.

After a frenetic first three quarters of my week I was able to get back into a rhythm today. Prior to leaving last night I too the time to line up my calendar with the most important things I needed to work on. I was able to lock in and focus where I needed to and it felt great.

Great lesson to remember for myself as I start to set up my plan for 2027… Step back. See the terrain. Choose my path.

Appreciation:

This morning I really didn’t want to get out of bed. I was hoping it was going to be raining so I’d have an excuse to go back to sleep. Too many nights staying up to watch the Brewers, allergies kicking my butt, lots of activity over the past few weeks. I just felt exhausted.

After the alarm went off I paused and listened… no rain. No excuses. No reason not to do the right thing.

I got up and went for my run with Becky.

It wasn’t a great one, no speed records for sure, but the miles got done. We had a great time talking as we ran, both of us feeling a little rough, but both of us moving.

Today I’m glad I showed up and survived the miles of trials!

Presence:

This evening as I left work I couldn’t help but smile. Everything was wrapped up from the week. Everything for next week is prepped and ready. Nothing to worry about or think about over the weekend.When I roll in on Monday everything is in place and ready to rumble. That’s a great feeling of presence, one that will continue to pay off all weekend long!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Another Question, Floating It Out There, & Our Running Ritual

Day 3,939

Growth:

Another question has been in my brain since a few nights ago when I was working on my project. It has been pushing me to look at the year from a different perspective, a view inspired by Ed Tom, the sheriff from the book No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.

It is a question that forces humility, that offers opportunity to see what we’ve misjudged, underestimated, or didn’t expect to face. In viewing it we are able to see a better route forward in the year ahead, to better prepare ourselves for what we may face.

Where did I encounter something this year that I was not fully equal to?

Appreciation:

The Universe is so ready to help us out to grow and expand. The more we float ideas and dreams out, the more often there are opportunities provided for us to take action. For sure, just wanting something doesn’t make it so, but I’m amazed at how often there is magic to be found after opening ourselves up, being humble and asking others for help or sharing our dream with them. In so many ways it’s almost as if we speak the magic into existence, it is only up to us to listen and take the appropriate action.

Today I took another step on my project (not quite ready to share it this openly yet) and it provided several new insights and ideas that really helped me see where this could continue to grow! So much more work to be done, but opening up helped me see a more clear path forward.

Presence:

Our morning run was amazing! I know, I use something form our morning run often, but I’m realizing more and more how sacred that ritual is to me. The time alone with Becky (and Leia). Physical activity to get my blood pumping. Quiet in the woods in the pre-dawn hour. Knowing that I started the day on my terms. Keeping my health the top of mind.

All those reasons and so many other little ones, the reason that time running is worth every ounce of energy and time many times over.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Accomplishing a Dream I Didn’t Know I Had Until I Accomplished It

Thankful for Accomplishing a Dream I Didn’t Know I Had Until I Accomplished It

Day 3,698

Talk about an epic surprise this morning! Before our run at 5am I poked my head out the door and looked to the north. As luck would have it, the Northern Lights were dancing all around the horizon!

As we can the first two miles I kept stopping to take pictures while also running with my eyes focused on the sky. Gigantic monoliths of light shot up through the sky like a spotlight and then slowly faded. The dark reds and purples were so bright they were clearly visible by the naked eye.

In a bit of cosmic coincidence they started to fade as we got to our turn around point. The majority of our run on the way back was heading south, which felt okay as the Northern Lights dissipated and the eastern horizon slowly lit up a little.

While I keep an active dream list (119 strong currently) one thing I’d never thought of adding to it was “Go for a run under the Northern Lights.” Now that I’ve done it I realize how epic of a dream that would have been, one that would have been almost impossible to accomplish. We just happened to luck out in this case – an opportunity to knock out a dream I didn’t know I even had until I was in the midst of accomplishing it!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Exercising, My Garmin Instinct’s 5th Birthday, & a Hummingbird Fly By

Day 3,200

Growth:

When in doubt get off my butt and exercise.

Tired and want to go back to sleep? Suck it up, put on the running shoes, and get after it. You’ll never regret it, you’ll only regret NOT doing it.

Feeling wore out after work and want to sit on the couch? Suck it up, grab your yoga gear, and get to the studio. You’ll never regret it, you’ll only regret NOT doing it.

When in doubt get moving, get some exercise.

Appreciation:

For over 5 years I’ve had the same watch on my left wrist, my Garmin Instinct. It was on sale for $249 and I figured it would be exactly what I needed for the next two or three years before it slowly fell apart and the battery died. Instead this bad boy has been kicking butt and taking names while showing ZERO sings of slowing down. The original battery is still going so strong that I still only charge it once every two weeks or so. This watch is a beast!!!

Over the past 5 years my Garmin Instinct and I have done the following:

  • 20.6 million steps
  • 10,800 total miles
  • 1,124 miles hiked
  • 2,500 miles run

All that use and abuse and there isn’t even a scratch on the face. The only work I’ve done on it is replacing the band.

In a world in which everything seems to be made to be replaced within a couple of years this watch has been one of the best investments I’ve made. Cheers to Garmin for making such an incredibly durable and useful product!!!

Presence:

This moment right here – what a few seconds of awesome.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Looking Backward for Growth, Racing the Storm, & Lightning on Demand ðŸ˜‰

Day 3,165

Growth:

Look backwards for forward growth rather than for what might have been. One enriches, the other devours joy.

Appreciation:

Nothing like running in the rain and then racing a thunderstorm! What an awesome start to my day!

For real, the sensation of voluntarily running in a relatively warm rain is sublime. To have the addition of pre-storm electricity in the air made it all the more intensely satisfying. By the end I didn’t even mind losing to the storm and being swallowed by the rain, it was beautiful and my heart was full of joy.

Presence:

The moment the lightning struck almost on cue! Wowza!!!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Perfectly Surreal Winter Running Experience

Day 2,020

I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! Rather than stay out and bark at the moon with some cohorts I chose to be in bed before 10pm. This move allowed me to get up and moving a little before 5:30am this morning.

Even though I was out of town for work I still wanted to knock out my Friday morning run, especially knowing that there was a lot of car time in my future. I got up, knocked the rust off my joints, and got ready to head out for my run.

As luck would have it there was what appeared to be a nice little trail only a couple of blocks from my hotel. Off I went into the snow, ice, and stiff wind with my headlamp on and my headphones playing an album from one of my new favorite bands that I’d never listened to before.

Only a couple of days ago my friend James turned me on to The Rural Alberta Advantage and I’ve been working my way through all of their albums. The next one up was Mended with Gold – I’d highly recommend giving it a listen.

The music was beyond perfect for the winter run. I’m struggling to put into words the reasons why it fit so well. The best I can come up with is that it was just perfect. I know, great work in being descriptive Kreiling, right? The sound, the tempo, the lyrics, the emotion in the voice… everything fit the cold, bitter, windy, snowy, and icy run in the pre-dawn lighting. Hmm… the music was raw in almost a primal way, the way the run felt.

As if that wasn’t already enough to create an epic running experience I crested a hill, turned a little corner, and saw this…

Yessir, those are buffalo! Bison Bison if you will. The trail skirted the little zoo and wildlife park in Marshfield, WI. Unbeknownst to me this meant I had an opportunity to get relatively up close and personal with one of my favorite animals. The hairy giants added to the surrealness of the run. It was only the bison and I out and about as there were no roads, houses, or people nearby.

Just before I encountered the bison the song Runners In the Night, a wonderfully perfect soundtrack for that exact moment.

I had to pause and just take it all in. The entire event was so surreal on so many levels. The profoundness of the presence I experienced in that moment is indescribable. It was a perfectly surreal winter running experience. Beautiful in so many levels, my heart still swell with joy as I think about it.

Thanks!!!

Day 1,964 – Thankful for Finding Ways to Enjoy the Edges

Our run this morning was warm but one of the most brutal in quite some time. It’s been quite a while since I’d last run on very icy roads. My feet would find solid purchase for a dozen steps or so only to then almost shoot right out from under me on the next steps. I’d move a little ways to the left and then a little to the right with no luck, everywhere I put my feet there seemed to be ice.

There wasn’t anything I could do to change the ice so I chose to roll with it. I shifted my posture to keep my center of gravity perfectly over my feet. My strides where greatly condensed as I went with shorter steps in order to keep myself from getting to out of balance. Due to the combination of clean blacktop, packed snow, ice, and potholes each step was an adventure and very rarely did more than three straight steps feel the same.

This was an opportunity for me to push the edge. I would rather not run on conditions like this, but what an opportunity to push my boundaries a bit. By running on this edge I was able to work on my balance, my focus, adjusting my steps, my breathing, and strengthening the little stabilizing muscles in my legs and feet. Before I knew it I was actually enjoying this run on the edge. For sure, it still hurt, but there was something fun in pushing the boundaries of what I feel comfortable doing.

When considering the past few weeks, possibly months, in much of life I’m seeing where I’ve pushed the edges. I’ve moved right to the boundary of comfort and ridden the line between there and discomfort. On that edge I’ve found growth. There’s more room to push that edge further and further out. The stretching doesn’t always feel good, it often starts off as the opposite, but the end result is positive. Not only that, but I’m finding that if I keep asking myself the right questions and choosing the right mindset I actually enjoy pushing the edge. Despite the discomfort I know I’m moving forward. Kind of like increasing the weights while lifting, it’s a good discomfort. If I do it right I have the opportunity to enjoy both the destination (joy) and the journey (suffering).

This might be one of those nights when I start to explore and idea to come back to a little later. I feel like there’s a lot more to pull apart and extract to this concept, but I want to let this ferment further. May this blog be a future thought seed.

Thanks!!!